“Youth Settlement Is the Solution”… Gumi City Anticipates Rebound in Low Birthrate

Increase in Marriages Among Prime Childbearing Age Group (30-34) Leads to Rise in Newborns

Recovered to Around 28,700 in the Last 6 Months... Increased by About 500

'Exciting~ing' 130 Couples Formed Over 7 Years, Expansion Planned for Next Year

Gumi City in Gyeongbuk recently showed positive signs of reversing the low birthrate trend, as young people are gathering and the number of marriages is rebounding, leading to an expected increase in the number of births compared to last year.

In Gumi City, the population of people in their early 30s (30-34 years old), the main marriage age group, fell below 30,000 in August 2020 and hit a low of 28,276 in February 2023. However, over the past six months, it has recovered to around 28,700, increasing by about 500 people.

Additionally, the cumulative number of marriages from January to October this year reached 1,443, nearly a 20% increase compared to the same period last year. This rate is higher than the national average (19.2%) and Gyeongbuk average (11.7%), indicating that local young people are settling down and moving towards marriage.

With the increase in marriages, the number of births is naturally rising as well. Last year, Gumi City recorded 1,892 births, but this year has shown a trend of increasing births for three consecutive months since July. Considering the pregnant women registered at health centers expected to give birth by the end of the year, the total number of births this year is expected to surpass 2,000, an increase of more than 8% compared to last year.

The background of these achievements lies in Gumi City’s focused policies to address the low birthrate issue. In February, Gumi was the first among 22 cities and counties in Gyeongbuk to establish the ‘Gumi-type Low Birthrate Countermeasure TF Team,’ and in July, it was expanded and reorganized into the ‘Future Education and Care Bureau,’ concentrating all efforts on devising measures against the low birthrate.

In particular, the unmarried men and women couple matching project ‘DugeunDugeun~ing’ is gaining attention as Gumi City’s flagship program designed to promote free meetings among unmarried men and women of marriageable age, improve positive perceptions of marriage, and foster healthy family formation.

The progress of 'Throbbing∼ing'. Provided by Gumi City

Now in its seventh year, it has established itself as a key project to increase marriages. Through a total of 13 events so far, 130 couples have been formed, with 19 couples having married to date. By 2025, an additional three couples are expected to tie the knot.

Going forward, Gumi City plans to increase the number of unmarried participants and expand the frequency of events from once every six months to once every quarter. Furthermore, the eligible participant age range will be relaxed from the current 29 to 39 years old to 20 to 39 years old, aiming to attract more interest and participation from younger youth in marriage.

Mayor Kim Jang-ho stated, “Gumi City is showing tangible results this year with increases in the number of marriages and births through various efforts to overcome the low birthrate.” He added, “We will continue to promote diverse and effective policies to spread positive perceptions of marriage and childbirth and do our best to make Gumi a better place for young people to live.”